Abstract
Phytochemicals contribute to the health benefits of plant-rich diets, notably through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, recommended daily amounts of the main dietary phytochemicals remain undetermined. We aimed to estimate the amounts of phytochemicals in a well-balanced diet. A modelled diet was created, containing dietary reference intakes for adults in France. Two one-week menus (summer and winter) were devised to reflect typical intakes of plant-based foods. Existing databases were used to estimate daily phytochemical content for seven phytochemical families: phenolic acids, flavonoids (except anthocyanins), anthocyanins, tannins, organosulfur compounds, carotenoids, and caffeine. The summer and winter menus provided 1607 and 1441 mg/day, respectively, of total polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins), the difference being driven by reduced anthocyanin intake in winter. Phenolic acids, flavonoids (including anthocyanins), and tannins accounted for approximately 50%, 25%, and 25% of total polyphenols, respectively. Dietary carotenoid and organosulfur compound content was estimated to be approximately 17 and 70 mg/day, respectively, in both seasons. Finally, both menus provided approximately 110 mg/day of caffeine, exclusively from tea and coffee. Our work supports ongoing efforts to define phytochemical insufficiency states that may occur in individuals with unbalanced diets and related disease risk factors.
Highlights
A healthy diet is considered to be one that provides adequate calories and nutrients to meet an individual’s needs for energy, growth, and repair, and to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases
Where FF is a multiplier reflecting the frequency of intake (FF: Frequency factors = 1 per day, 0.143 per week, and 0.033 per month), z denotes the total number of servings, and PS is the portion size in grams
Our analysis focused on phytochemicals with proven health benefits at amounts that can be readily obtained by dietary intake
Summary
A healthy diet is considered to be one that provides adequate calories and nutrients to meet an individual’s needs for energy, growth, and repair, and to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases. Plant-derived foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, form an essential part of healthy diets. Plant-rich diets (including Mediterranean-type or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets) have been reported to cover all of the macro- and micronutrients considered essential to health [1]. They are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, which regulate lipid and glucose metabolism, counteract oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and support endothelial function [2]. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been associated with comparatively low rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive decline [3,4,5,6,7,8]
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